China seeks expansion of strategic ties with Iran: Xi

Chinese President Xi Jinping has emphasized his country's determination to further enhance "strategic" relations with the Islamic Republic of Iran.

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani and
Chinese President Xi Jinping at the SCO Summit

In a Friday meeting with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani in the Tajik capital, Dushanbe, Xi underscored the Islamic Republic's significant position in the region and the entire world, saying Beijing seeks to promote "strategic" ties with Tehran.

The Chinese leader also announced plans for an official visit to the Iranian capital, Tehran, next year.

The Iranian president, in turn, hailed Tehran-Beijing relations as "strong," saying Iran and China must pursue the implementation of their previous agreements.

During the talks, the two sides also exchanged views on major issues of regional and international significance.

President Rouhani also held a separate meeting with Afghan President Hamid Karzai in Dushanbe, where the two senior officials discussed the developments before and after Afghanistan's disputed presidential election in April.

The Iranian chief executive further stressed the need for the restoration of peace and stability to Afghanistan through the cooperation of all political groups in the country.

The two meetings took place on the sidelines of the summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) which opened in Dushanbe on Friday.

The SCO is an intergovernmental organization that was founded in 2001 in Shanghai by the leaders of China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan. Iran, along with four other countries, holds observer status at the organization.